RJA #8a: Quotation, Paraphrase, and Summary

PASSAGE:
http://www.narmada.org/gcg/gcg.html

Further upstream, where the silt deposits have not yet become a problem, there's another problem. Landless people (predominantly tribal people and Dalits) have traditionally cultivated rice, fruit and vegetables on the rich, shallow silt banks the river leaves when it recedes in the dry months. Every now and then, the engineers manning the Bargi Dam (way upstream, near Jabalpur) release water from the reservoir without warning. Downstream, the water level in the river suddenly rises. Hundreds of families have had their crops washed away several times, leaving them with no livelihood.

PARAPHRASE:

Local tribal villagers/dalits heavily rely on silt banks left by the river to grow their rich agricultural pallet. However, as engineers from the nearby dam release water from it without warning, it floods the crops the villagers rely on for sustainability. This in turn, leaves the villagers without no livelihood.

SUMMARY:

Landless villagers living around one of India's largest dams are constantly affected by the inconsistent flow of water let out of the dam by engineers without warning. These local villagers rely on silt banks from the river to grow crops, which in turn sustains their livelihood. With unexpected water flow from the dam, it floods their crops, and the villagers cannot make a living.

PARAGRAPH (ellipsis/brackets):

Most people are only familiar with the positive aftermath regarding the construction of large dams. It (in essence) supplies fresh drinking water to millions of people, it provides irrigated water in times of need, and a consistent flow to meet human demands. However, often times we do not consider the socio-economic impact that dams have on people. Whether it is resettling entire villages or communities, or simply disturbing the lifestyles of people living around dams, we fail to consider the effects dams have on humans. A group of tribal villagers in India rely on the silt banks left from the river when the dry months arrive to fuel their agricultural lifestyle. This group of villagers use their crops as a means of sustainability, however "every now and again the engineers [. . .] release water from the reservoir, [. . . .] and downstream water levels rise, flooding the crops time and time again," (Roy) leaving the villagers unable to sustain their way of life.